UBCO Heat open Canada West soccer season Thursday against Trinity Western

UBC Okanagan forward Jaise Shaw, centre, celebrates a goal against UNBC with his Heat teammates at Nonis Sports Field during the 2025 season. UBCO opens its 2026 Canada West schedule at home against Trinity Western on Thursday, Aug. 27.

Photo: Kaczur Photography/UBCO Heat Athletics.

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The UBC Okanagan Heat will begin their 2026 Canada West men’s soccer season Thursday in Kelowna, hosting the Trinity Western Spartans at Nonis Sports Field.

The Aug. 27 match is scheduled for 5 p.m. and begins a four-game regular-season homestand for UBCO. The Heat will also host Victoria on Saturday, UBC on Sept. 4 and Thompson Rivers on Sept. 6 before heading on the road.

The opener comes one day after Canada West released its 2026 men’s soccer coaches poll. UBC and Mount Royal, which have met in the conference final in each of the past three seasons, were the top teams in the preseason voting.

UBCO enters the new season looking to improve on a difficult 2025 campaign. The Heat finished Canada West play with a 1-12-3 record, scoring 13 goals while allowing 47. Their lone conference victory came Oct. 4, when they defeated UNBC 3-2 in Kelowna.

Trinity Western was one of the teams UBCO managed to take points from last season. The Heat played the Spartans to a 1-1 draw in Langley on Sept. 5 and a 2-2 draw at Nonis Sports Field in their final match of the 2025 season.

UBCO has already played preseason matches at Nonis Sports Field this month, including a 5-2 loss to Calgary on Aug. 13 and a 1-0 loss to Mount Royal on Aug. 15. Thursday’s match against Trinity Western marks the beginning of the Heat’s Canada West regular-season schedule.

After Thursday’s opener, UBCO hosts the Victoria Vikes on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 4 p.m.